Concept Of Syncretism Research Articles

Reconsidering Syncretism and Contextualization: The sangoma-Prophet Phenomenon in South African Neo-Prophetic Pentecostalism

The emergence of African Christianity from missionary tutelage towards the close of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century raised concerns of syncretism that only eased with arguments of contextualisation in the 1970s. The arguments some missiologists in Southern Africa made, especially about the older Spirit churches (Zion and Apostolic churches) as indigenising agents, almost retired the concept of syncretism in relation to these churches in favour of recognising them as being responsive to their context—hence, agents of contextualisation. The advent of the neo-prophetic movement requires a reconsideration of both the concepts of syncretism and contextualisation of the Christian faith, especially in light of the alleged interaction of some in this movement with ancestral spirits. The article concerns itself with the question: why does the advent of neo-prophetism require a conceptual reconsideration of syncretism and contextualisation and to what end? The search for an answer to this question adopts a qualitative desktop research approach. The study seeks to understand the reasons for the traditional healing (sangoma) prophet phenomenon requiring a reconsideration of the mentioned concepts.

Sangomas on the Pulpit: Syncretistic Practices of Some Pastors in Neo-Pentecostal Ministries in South Africa

This article builds on and contributes to work in the field of syncretism in some neo-Pentecostal ministries. While some studies have investigated the increasing syncretistic practices within certain neo-Pentecostal groups, there has been a lack of emphasis on the similarities and differences between sangomas who strictly follow African Indigenous Religion and sangomas who are spiritual leaders in certain ministries. In certain neo-Pentecostal ministries, sangomas have risen to leadership roles, even founding their congregations. The rapid growth or trend of sangomas on the pulpit is sometimes characterised by condemnation and hostility against “born-again” Christians. Sangomas, who are usually prophets or pastors, attempt to ascertain that the “born-again” have lost their identities because they believe in Western theologies. This article draws strongly on the concept of syncretism as the theoretical framework. Employing the evidence provided in the literature through a literary analysis, this article intends to examine and expose the current trends of syncretism. This article also uses a few cases of neo-Pentecostal ministers who have adopted sangomic practices in their pulpits. Some of the practices were observed by the authors through the participant observation method. Accordingly, it will further identify the failure of westernised Christianity, which was one of the stumbling blocks for Christianity to be integrated into the indigenous historical tradition.

Syncretism and Inculturation.

This paper examines the encounter between Christian theology and Ghanaian religious culture through the lens of syncretism and inculturation. We argue that the perception that the Gospel is intrinsic to Euro-western culture is erroneous and accounts for the inability of the Christian church to transmit the Gospel to African cultures without transmitting Euro-western culture. This has been a major challenge to inculturation in Africa, not least Ghana. Further, we contend that a pejorative understanding of the concept of syncretism is accountable for Christian theology’s rejection of Euro-western Christianity as syncretic. Through archival material and our own experiences of the Ghanaian situation, we demonstrate that Christianity has always been syncretic and its survival as a worldwide religion is precisely because of its irenic character. We conclude that the irenic character of syncretism and inculturation provide sustainable pathways for spreading the gospel message in the church and society.

Climbing the Trail to Heaven: traditional funerals and burial practices in Dane-zaa territory - an ethnographic account from North-eastern British Columbia

ABSTRACT While performing fieldwork in Fort St. John (July 2019-August 2020), I attended two traditional funerals organised by Doig River First Nation, a Dane-zaa First Nation of North-eastern British Columbia. As per the Dane-zaa tradition, drumming, singing, and dancing around the fire were key components of both funerals. Nevertheless, there was an essential difference between the two ceremonies. The 2019 funeral celebrated for Janice Askoty was a blended ceremony where traditional practices were performed alongside a Christian liturgy. Such a ceremony underlined existing tensions between community members regarding faith and systems of beliefs. These tensions were absent in the 2020 funeral celebrated for Annie Oker, where there was no Christian liturgy. Drawing on my observations and using the concept of syncretism, in this paper, I highlight how indigenous cultural practices, symbols, and beliefs have been integrated with Christian practices to the point that new blended practices have been established. At the same time, I point out how some traditional practices (i.e. drumming, singing, and dancing around the fire) have not been modified by external influences, surviving until now. In conclusion, I describe how colonialism’s legacy still manifests itself during funerary celebrations and how community members perceive, face, and counter it.

Tridharma Religion in Indonesia: Reading Hikmah Tridharma and Tjahaja Tri-Dharma Magazines during the 1970s-1980s

In religious conversations, syncretism is often perceived negatively even though it is actually a healthy process. One form of syncretism that emerged in Indonesia is the religion of Tridharma which consists of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. This paper discusses syncretism in the religion of Tridharma in Indonesia. Using a historical approach during the 1970s, this paper is a literature study of two magazines affiliated with the religion of Tridharma, namely the Hikmah Tridharma magazine and the Tjahaja Tri-Dharma magazine. This paper rethinks the concept of syncretism as a dirty word, or at least negative form, to one of neutrality. Considering religion as dynamic, syncretism in the religion of Tridharma or Sam Kauw has been a historical process since the Ming dynasty in Mainland China. The Hikmah Tridharma magazine and the Tjahaja Tri-Dharma magazine during the 1970s illustrate how syncretism in the body of Tridharma religion occurs not only between Buddism, Confucianism, and Daoism but also with Hinduism and group of theosophy. As one element of the dynamics of religious belief, the politics of recognition is important. In Indonesia, the state gave a different attitude to Chinese religions or all things Chinese-affiliated in general during the New Order era, and the era of transition to reform, Gus Dur. This then triggered contestation between Chinese religions themselves in Indonesia, especially between the religion of Tridharma and Confucianism.

Appraisal of Syncretism in the Practice of Religion in Nigeria

The mainline conservatives in Christianity always conceive syncretism as a practice which contaminates or dilutes Christian religion with elements that are incompatible with the gospel. In taking this stance, particularly in Nigeria, two basic mistakes are made. The first mistake is to identify the western culture with 'sacred tradition.' The second mistake is to assume that western culture is a universal form of culture that has become part of what Christianity is. These mistakes call for the reappraisal of the concept and practice of syncretism in addition to raising thequestion: which religion is pure without external influences? Applying analytical and historical methods the paper makes a critical appraisal of the concept of syncretism in religion and its practice in Africa with focus on Nigeria. It offers dialogue as a way forward to achieve authentic spirituality in any religion one may opt for. The paper concludes that most religions of the world are syncretic and that the wind of the spirit blows where it wills

REVISITING THE CONCEPT OF THE JAVANESE ISLAM: GENEALOGY, ACADEMIC REPRESENTATION, AND CULTURAL STRATEGY

This article aims to revisit the understanding of the concept of syncretic Javanese Islam, which scholars have much debated. From the genealogical search for the syncretic Javanese Islamic concept produced by missionaries and orientalists; mapping of the academic representations of Javanese Islam produced by recent scholars; up to an explanation of the theoretical approach used to discuss the concept of syncretism. Based on selected literature sources, the results show that the syncretic Javanese Islamic concept formulated by missionaries and orientalists tends to be highly theological due to the Christian framework used. They were especially concerned about the universality of religion, the evolution of civilization, the hierarchy of religions, and the purity of religious doctrine. Recent scholars also tend to have inherited this conception of Javanese Islam. They constantly debated the ‘true’ or the ‘purity’ of Javanese Islam, thus resulting in the two dominantly opposing views. The intensity of the cultural encounter and the necessity of syncretism requires a more robust theoretical approach to obtain a more precise understanding of syncretism.

Repensando a San Simón, el sincretismo y la autoridad antropológica

The tradition of San Simón in Guatemala has long garnered considerable interest among foreign and national academics, tourists, and Guatemalans in general from a range of backgrounds. Many, though not all, are drawn to the ambiguity and multiple identities often attributed to this deity, including associations with Pedro de Alvarado and Judas Iscariot as well as autochthonous figures such as the Maya deity Mam or other figures from Indigenous history and culture. In this article, based primarily on ethnographic research conducted since 1994, I trace opinions and assessments concerning San Simón, from a range of interlocutors, and consider how these have developed over time. I argue that academics especially need to rethink the concept of syncretism as we go about identifying and interpreting cases of “religious mixture”, noting that considerable reflexivity is required when applying thisterm. For many indigenous Guatemalans, especially at the community level, little if any contradiction or ambiguity is expressed regarding the identity(s) of this deity, which leads to the question “syncretic for whom”? That said, others, especially those involved (often beyond the local level) in the promotion and institutionalization of Maya Spirituality, may work to establish a more stable Maya pedigree for this tradition. The way these various points of view are expressed and placed in dialog with each other speaks to a dynamism and creativity which is typical of Maya culture at present and through time.

The Creation of Abelengro: A Cross-Cultural Art Music Composition

Ethnomusicology has an important mission of providing a body of musical knowledge that can be drawn on by artist-composers, performers, dancers as well as scholars in the field of music. The paper therefore presents an outcome of a creative ethnomusicological study of abele music among the Yeji people of the Bono-East Region in Ghana. Using Euba’s theory of creative ethnomusicology and Nketia’s concept of syncretism, the study highlights the indigenous elements of abele musical genre and unearths the process where these elements were used to create a musical artefact called Abelengro. Data for the study were collected through observation and adopted definitive analysis to provide the materials for the composition. The study revealed that Abele music contains rich source materials for creating a neoclassicism of African traditional music that could be enjoyed by a wide range of people. It is envisaged that these rich indigenous musical elements and idioms are harnessed by contemporary art musicians to achieve the uniqueness of African identity in art music compositions in Ghana.

“Like the Flame of Fire”

The so-called Hearst Chalice at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is widely regarded as one the most significant works of Mexican silversmithing from the sixteenth century. Its style, technique, and above all its unique combination of materials—including precious metals, feathers, wood carvings, and rock crystal—have led scholars to describe it as the perfect fusion of European and Ancient American (or pre-Columbian) traditions. Surprisingly, despite the consensus about the chalice’s importance, the cultural and artistic conditions that led to the creation of this singular object have not been thoroughly analyzed. By closely examining the different material components of the imposing artifact—which though carefully assembled also stand as independent units—we can better understand its uniqueness and symbolic potential. This essay espouses a synoptic approach by considering a range of agencies, perspectives, and sources—documentary and material—to restore the “Hearst” Chalice to its rightful context, without aspiring to a totalizing view of the past or a definitive decoding of its system of meaning. Categorizing its form and function as purely Indigenous and European poses a distinct set of challenges and limits its hermeneutic possibilities. The work—like many others created during the volatile period following the fall of Tenochtitlan—encodes a new visual language that reveals the highly subtle process of negotiation of these two cultures in a particular space and time. Moving away from the reductive concept of syncretism, the essay offers a fresh look at this impressive contact period work and its shifting values over time.

Interpretation of the Concept of Religious Syncretism in Western European and Russian Researches

The article is devoted to religious syncretism, in particular, the history of its research in Western European and Russian science. Most foreign researchers give an ambiguous assessment of the mother concept of syncretism. However, when for Russian researchers syncretism is a universal term used to describe a group of processes and seems not to be problematic, in the Western European scientific community anthropologists and religious scholars have been actively discussing its application for almost fifty years: works devoted to religious syncretism, as a rule, are necessarily accompanied by a number of reservations, and in other cases researchers deliberately avoid it altogether, preferring to use synonymous concepts with a less complicated history. In this way the main objective this paper sets is to compare the visions of the Russian and the foreign academy on the term, map and draw the margins of the conceptual use that both Russian and European scholars share, shedding light on contexts and reasons. Positioning the concept within the field of its use, the text also notes the wide context of the referent phenomenon. Processes of spreading the boundaries of identity and religious self-determination are now taking place against the background of globalization. In this regard, the topic of religious syncretism not only has not lost its relevance, but, on the contrary, is increasingly at the center of religious studies. The author of the article covers the history of the emergence of the concept in religious studies. On the basis of comparative analysis, the traces of the coverage of this phenomenon in scientific publications of Western European and Russian researchers are shown. It is also revealed, how the connotations of the concept of religious syncretism have changed, with the key discrepancies and gaps in scientific approaches identified, and the main types of contexts in which it appears differentiated.

Syncretism of the City: Legal Aspects of Various Scientific Theories of the City

Nearly a dozen and a half different humanities, natural and technical sciences have chosen the city as a subject of research and, within their subject areas, have developed theoretical approaches to defining the livesustaining activities of the city. All spheres of the city’s existence are interconnected, at least to some extent, by a complex system of city legal relationships and are combined into a single complex, dynamic, controversial, but rather stable structure. In other words, we can, by means of law, investigate the whole (syncretism) of various scientific approaches to the analysis and description of the system of life of the city and its inhabitants. The author investigates various approaches to the concept of syncretism, including the essence of syncretism in legal context. The concept of syncretism is applied to the city in order to present it as a legal framework linking the knowledge of the city of various humanities into the system of social relations in order to explore the main spheres of the population’s life. The paper investigates some basic provisions of the theories of the city of such humanities as history, sociology, philosophy, psychology, economics, urban studies and political science as a matter of law. The purpose of the study is to form a new, comprehensive legal approach to the understanding of the essence of urban life and urbanization processes within the framework of legal urbanology with due regard to the totality of theoretical and practical knowledge about cities accumulated in some humanities. This study implements an interdisciplinary approach based on the use of sources from different fields of scientific knowledge on the basis of general scientific and private scientific research methods (analysis, synthesis, deduction, hypothetical, statistical, comparative-legal, and prognostic methods). Analysis of legal aspects of the main approaches of some humanities to the study of the city shows their syncretic character and the possibility of forming a generalized legal theory of the city within the framework of legal urbanology as a branch in legal science on the basis of fundamental and applied interdisciplinary studies of the city.

Syncretism, Harmonization, and Mutual Appropriation between Buddhism and Confucianism in Pre-Joseon Korea

Following the introduction of Buddhism to China, various strategies of accommodation with Chinese culture were developed, all amounting to some form of syncretism with Chinese religions, mainly Confucianism. Buddhism in pre-modern Korea displayed similar forms of interaction with Confucianism. This article aims to critique the notion that such interactions were merely forms of “harmonization”, finding common ground between the traditions. If one religion borrows from another or adopts the message of another religion, it will be affected to some degree, which is why the concept of syncretism is a better tool of analysis. This article concludes that there was a strong official support in Goryeo Korea towards the genuine convergence of Confucianism and Buddhism. Since Buddhism, as a result, took on many of the tasks carried out by Confucianism in China, the reaction against Buddhism by a reinvigorated Confucianism from the late fourteenth century onward was much stronger than in China.

Contribuições da Semiótica às práticas de multiletramento

O artigo toma como parâmetro teórico a Semiótica discursiva, teoria geral da significação, que favorece a abordagem de qualquer texto ou prática social por meio de instrumentos metodológicos consistentes, para refletir sobre os multiletramentos. Considera-se que tal conceito se assenta sobre dois eixos principais: as relações entre linguagens na produção de textos sincréticos e as práticas sociais em que são postos em circulação. Para exemplificar as possibilidades de análise e as contribuições para o ensino delas decorrentes, o artigo aborda, à luz dos níveis de pertinência propostos por Fontanille e do conceito de sincretismo, o ensino de leitura na escola, percorrendo diversos gêneros como notícia, capa de livro, blog, narrativa de aventuras e abaixo-assinado digital. A análise pretende contribuir para enfrentar os desafios impostos pelos textos, objetos e práticas contemporâneas ao ensino de leitura. Busca-se ainda intensificar o diálogo entre a semiótica e as teorias sobre ensino e multiletramentos.

Beyond win–win: A syncretic theory on corporate stakeholder engagement in sustainable development

AbstractThis article explores the concept of syncretism to articulate the construct of a novel theoretical approach that may help to accelerate progress in developing substantively more sustainable business activities. One reason why the integration of environmental and social responsibility in business has been so difficult to achieve in practice is that it is not just a battle of competing business logics but a battle of faiths. The concept of syncretism, with its roots in religious synthesis, may be far more relevant and useful than conventional approaches to combining the two, which rarely seem to rise above a “win–win” appeal to logic. The connectionist logic of syncretism may show us a way beyond paradigmatic conformity in business sustainability research so that scholars with diverse theoretical backgrounds might have a common ground for discussion, find constructive connections, and engage in potentially more insightful and creative interactions to develop our understanding of corporate sustainability.

El sincretismo como estrategia de pervivencia de las lenguas originarias en México

En este trabajo se identifica el concepto de sincretismo como una denominación alternativa de las estrategias de los pueblos originarios para sostener su identidad lingüística en un contexto marcado por presiones sociales, así como por condiciones internas y externas de los sistemas lingüísticos. Se parte de una consideración axiomática de interacciones orales de hablantes de lenguas originarias y del hecho de que cinco siglos después de la colonización y de políticas de lenguaje desfavorables para las comunidades indígenas, más de la mitad de las lenguas originarias de México, cuenta aún con una vitalidad importante. Se conformó información que justifica la existencia de un sincretismo visible en la morfología léxica y en la alternancia de códigos, los cuales constituyen los medios de la estrategia de reproducción social de carácter simbólico que empodera y equilibra el ecosistema sociolingüístico. Se concluye que, en medio de una situación sociolingüística compleja, las comunidades de habla indígenas aplican una dinámica interna de pervivencia identitaria asumida en las transformaciones de su lengua, al tiempo que enfrentan la dinámica externa de las presiones capitalistas que se van imponiendo gradualmente mediante la lengua mayoritaria.

Pluralism With Syncretism: A Perspective From Latin American Religious Diversity

Abstract The aim of this paper is to defend a type of pluralistic philosophical theory that addresses the specific characteristics of Latin American religious diversity. In order to do this, I will first try to show how, from a Latin American perspective, the discussion of religious diversity necessarily imposes the concept of syncretism and how this concept can be understood within the debate about diversity. After that, I will defend an understanding of religiosity that takes syncretism as something natural, given the functioning of our systems of practices and beliefs in general. Finally I will defend the advantages of a pluralistic philosophical perspective of religion that considers the phenomenon of syncretism and how it is necessary for an understanding of Latin American religiosity.

Concept, Ritual, and Executive--Paths to Ecological Protection for Mount Tai in Ancient China

The Chinese in ancient times have proposed the concept of syncretism between heaven and man, therefore the scholars such as Confucius and the emperors in different dynasties had created various concepts of environmental protection, which have put a great impact on the protection of Mount Tai's ecology. Historic cases of ecological protection of Mount Tai have aroused modern Chinese ecological sense and supervised the governmental decision-making.

UNITY THROUGH DIVERSITY: A CASE STUDY OF CHRISLAM IN LAGOS

ABSTRACTThis article presents an ethnographic case study of Chrislam, a series of religious movements that fuse Christian and Muslim beliefs and practices, in its socio-cultural and political-economic setting in Nigeria's former capital Lagos. In contrast to conventional approaches that study religious movements in Africa as syncretic forms of ‘African Christianity’ or ‘African Islam’, I suggest that ‘syncretism’ is a misleading term to describe Chrislam. In fact, Chrislam provides a rationale for scrutinizing the very concept of syncretism and offers an alternative analytical case for understanding its mode of religious pluralism. To account for the religious plurality in Chrislam, I employ assemblage theory because it proposes novel ways of looking at Chrislam's religious mix that are in line with the way in which its worshippers perceive their religiosity. The underlying idea in Chrislam's assemblage of Christianity and Islam is that to be a Christian or Muslim alone is not enough to guarantee success in this world and the hereafter; therefore, Chrislam worshippers participate in Christian as well as Muslim practices, appropriating the perceived powers of both.

Sinkretisme dalam Adat Tradisi Masyarakat Islam

Dalam kajian agama, sinkretisme telah menjadi salah satu kategori konsep yang dibahaskan dan kontroversi disebabkan terma ini memberi gambaran “tidak suci” atau “tidak tulen”. Walaupun terminologi sinkretisme telah lahir dan berkembang di Barat, namun ia telah turut digunakan oleh beberapa sarjana dalam menerangkan fenomena beragama dan pengamalan adat tradisi masyarakat Islam di Nusantara yang membawa kepada natijah penolakan adat tradisi oleh golongan reformis Islam. Oleh itu, makalah ini bertujuan menghuraikan konsep sinkretisme serta analisis Islam mengenainya bagi menjelaskan sinkretisme yang berlaku khususnya dalam konteks adat tradisi masyarakat Islam serta cadangan menanggapinya. Kajian ini merupakan kajian kualitatif iaitu data kepustakaan yang diperolehi dianalisis secara deskriptif dan analitikal bagi menjelaskan sinkretisme dalam adat tradisi masyarakat Islam. Kajian mendapati imej “tidak suci” atau “tidak tulen” yang dibawa oleh sinkretisme dalam adat tradisi masyarakat Islam boleh dikaitkan dengan percampuran elemen Islam dan pra Islam yang masih bercanggah dengan prinsip Tauhid. Ia adalah bersifat sementara dan boleh dikikis, manakala adat tradisi pula boleh diteruskan sekiranya tidak lagi wujud percanggahan tersebut.